The NWSL offseason is officially in full swing, and with no more draft events and free agency for all, players and clubs are already announcing departures and new signings. The window opened in early fall, and there has been plenty of player movement already. As the new year approaches, and rumors increase on where and when some of the key targets will land, let's reflect on some of the biggest signings that had an impact on the 2024 regular season.
Here are the best signings that set the league on fire in 2024:
Honorable mentions
Leicy Santos (Washington Spirit): The Colombian international signing was announced in the spring from Atletico Madrid, but Spirit fans had to await her arrival till after the Olympics. It was worth the timeline because Santos' impact was immediate as she slotted in for an injured Croix Bethune down the stretch of a playoff push for the Spirit and was among the top four players in chances created (23) on the team.
Rosemonde Kouassi (Washington Spirit): The Ivory Coast international became a quick, integral part of the Spirit's attack as the coaching staff tried to manage injuries to Trinity Rodman and Ouleymata Sarr down the stretch of their playoff push. Her 10 games with the Spirit led to two assists and she was among the top five players with over 80% pass completion in the final third with at least 10 games played.
Almuth Schult (Kansas City Current): The Current had plenty of wild games over the regular season and that was because they could both score and concede a ton of goals at one point. The front office recognized the need to switch things up and went out and signed German international Almuth Schult to secure things up in the goalkeeper position. In 11 matches with the Current, she earned six clean sheets and conceded only eight goals.
5. Racheal Kundananji (Bay FC)
The expansion side made a splash with their league introduction signing not one, but multiple international players. Alongside Assisat Oshoala and Deyna Castellanos, Zambia international Racheal Kundananji arrived at Bay FC on the largest transfer fee ($788,000) in women's soccer history.
Among Bay's international stars, she arguably had the biggest impact on the expansion side during their inaugural season. She made 22 appearances for the Northern California side and was second on the team in goals scored (five) behind Oshoala. She led the team in chances created (34) and assists (four) and was often the spark plug for attacking sequences.
4. Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)
As the Chicago Red Stars, who will officially rebrand to Chicago Stars FC in 2025, took their first steps under new ownership in 2024, they had multiple things on their to-do list. A new club president, a new head coach, and a new general manager were among just a few major items. The other was securing the face of the franchise out of free agency.
The club did that with a then-record-breaking contract for Swanson, a five-year deal that would keep her with Chicago through 2028. She had a scoring drought post-Olympics, but her presence during the first half of the season was undeniable. The move put Chicago slightly ahead of their rebuild, as they snuck into the 2024 playoffs as an eight seed.
3a. Ann-Katrin Berger (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
It might be hard to believe that in a year that brought several U.S. women's national team players into the mix, Gotham FC's best signing ended up being a goalkeeper.
Ann-Katrin Berger's spring signing shifted the team's defensive dynamic, and after a stellar bronze medal performance in the Olympics for Germany, Berger's form rarely took a dive. Even in moments where Gotham's backline had rotations due to injury management, it was Berger's steady presence that often shined brightest.
She won NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for her efforts and was first in goals against average (0.727), with only 16 goals conceded in the regular season. Her eight clean sheets were ranked third among goalkeepers in the category.
3b. Gotham FC's "Class of 2024"
It would've been outright unfair to have a list where half of it belongs to Gotham, so we're borrowing a page from their book and referencing their free agency signings as a class. Gotham's "Class of 2024" brought not one, but four USWNT players into the franchise fold. Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn, and Tierna Davidson were all considered marquee targets in the offseason and each found their way to the rising club.
While injury kept Davidson out of games during the second half of the season, and Dunn was often on availability reports post-Olympics under "excused absence," Lavelle and Sonnett remained frequent impact players throughout the season and Gotham's playoff run. They'll likely remain so through 2026 and have a role in whether or not Gotham represents NWSL at the future FIFA Club World Cup slated for early 2026.
2. Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride)
After narrowly missing out on the 2023 playoffs, Orlando used the offseason and free agency to boost their roster for a playoff run. They extended key starters Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Hailey McCutcheon. But no bigger signing came for Orlando in 2024 than when they acquired Barbra Banda. She's the only signing that can rival Marta's 2017 arrival in Orlando.
An international whose influence on the pitch changes games and opportunities for the teammates around her, the Zambian striker made scoring goals look easy, and as the season went on, she figured out how to adapt and create chances for teammates whenever she was flocked by defenders. Her regular season goals (13) and assists (six) were high marks that earned her a spot as a 2024 NWSL MVP finalist.
1. Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)
After finishing as runners-up in the 2022 NWSL Championship, Kansas City Current made big signings during the first wave of NWSL free agency. They landed key midfielders Debinha and Vanessa DiBernardo and added draft prospect Michelle Cooper, but despite the impressive moves last year, they settled for a second-to-last-place finish. But 2024 brought changes at the coach and executive levels, and they've since built themselves back up as a playoff-caliber team.
But that might not happen if they don't secure the definitive signing of the year, Temwa Chawinga. The Malawian international captivated the league whenever she scored throughout the season. She's the only player to score against all 13 active NWSL clubs in a single season and set an all-time single-season record for most goals scored (20). Her remarkable run led the team back to the playoffs, and it got her both the 2024 NWSL Golden Boot and the 2024 NWSL MVP.
